Shoppesville's Enduring Appeal to Toy Collectors

While scores have flocked to the new Greenhills Mall for their Christmas shopping, others prefer a pilgrimage to the third floor of Shoppesville—undeniably the country’s top destination for serious hobbyists. There, you’ll find collectors and aficionados across three generations, shopping or simply marveling at the various hobby stores' incredible collections. As one foreigner exclaimed, the range is much better than the toy depots he visited in Taiwan. He was also amused by a holiday scene that could only happen in a Shoppesville bathroom—young boys excitedly opening their blind box purchases, which contain random figurines.

In most malls, holiday shopping usually peaks on December 24. But not in Shoppesville where brisk sales continue for the rest of December, with store attendants awaiting the arrival of kids eager to blow their aguinaldo money on new purchases. That includes a 10-year-old boy named Jamie, who is looking for another die-cast airplane model to add to his collection. “I have about five,” he proudly exclaims.

One Piece anime’s DonQuixote DoFlamingo

Passing the Passion

But it’s not just kids who go holiday shopping for toys and kits. Shoppesville’s cult following is a unique multi-generational collecting audience that it has attracted through the years. In the case of the de Castro brothers—20-year-old Kyan Kyler and 24-year-old Kyle Christian—they inherited the collecting bug from their father.

“Eto talaga puntahan kapag model kits tulad ng Gundam, Tamiya,” Kyle Christian says, explaining the reason they continue to go to Shoppesville or some stores in nearby Virra Mall. “Mga six years old pa lang ako ginagala na ako dito ng papa ko para mamili. Sa kanya ko nakuha itong ugali na mag-Tamiya.”

At Bully Boy, a Marvin the Martian and a Manny Pacquio Funko Pop selling at P25,000 and P12,000 respectively.

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He says his father has moved on to collecting radio-controlled (RC) cars, another hobby they enjoy on weekends. It is an expensive hobby, but Kyle Christian, who sets aside a portion of his salary for his Tamiya collection, claims that collecting toys has benefits. “Nilalayo kami sa computer. Hindi ka lang kasi magbi-build ng Tamiya model car. Mag-iisip ka din kasi magko-complete ka din. Yung Tamiya, kailangan ng tune-up, kailangan din i-maintain.”

“Ngayon na may trabaho na ako, ine-enjoy ko siya habang wala pa akong pamilya,” Kyle Christian continues. “Minsan, nag-ba-buy-and-sell din kami. Dapat lang alamin mo ang market at kung ano ang patok. May resale value ang toys, pwedeng pagkakitaan. May mga special editions na talagang tumataas ang value.”

Bully Boy’s Funko Pop lined walls.

Cashing in on Collectibles

Indeed, collectors can sell their toys at a profit, especially the limited editions. In a store called Bully Boy, Funko Pop figures go from P650 to P100,000. Some of their more expensive models include the Manny Pacquiao Funko Pop, which has an asking price of P12,000 (USD999.99 for a hand-signed piece on eBay), Marvin the Martian (P25,000), and Big Bang’s Sheldon Cooper (P60,000). “Dati, P700 lang yung Pacquiao eh,” says store attendant AC Banal, who says they’ve sold a Funko Pop likeness of Back to the Future’s Marty McFly for P80,000.

Displayed at Kurt Lim’s Collector’s Quest store,  Jada Toys Street Fighter Action Figure Collection.

For Kurt Lim, his profits from selling toys online during the lockdown enabled him to launch a physical store he named Collector’s Quest, in Shoppesville, of course. “I grew up in Shoppesville,” Lim jokes. “Nung mga Grade III or IV ako, lagi akong namamasyal dito. Sobrang hilig ko yung mga Transformers, Spider man, etc.. I really wanted to buy, pero syempre, my parents said no. These collectibles aren't cheap; you can’t buy these every day. Kaya nag-window shopping lang ako noon."

Lim’s DC Direct Batman 1:3 Scale Batman Cowl Statue Collection.

He started selling online during the COVID lockdown, with his girlfriend, Jennel Gaw, as his business partner. At first, they sold on Facebook Marketplace before expanding to sell via TikTok, Lazada, and Shopee. “The toy market was strong during the lockdowns. Everyone was bored. So, nakabenta kami. Unti-unti, nakapag-ipon,” Lim says."

Kurt Lim inside his store, Collector’s Quest, which opened December 1 this year.

He learned the tricks of the trade online as well. “YouTube was my best friend, haha!” Things were going so well that Lim set aside his ambitions as a pilot. “I am a licensed commercial pilot, actually,” he says. “But there was an opportunity that came along. So, tumigil muna ako.”

Marvel Legends Series 85th Anniversary Ghost Rider Action Figure Set for sale at Lim’s store.

Lim is Shoppesville's newest player, having opened just this December 1. He joins the hobby shop pioneers like Big Boy; the fantabulous Motherbase, where model toys (from miniature to life-size scale) by artists are available for die-hard collectors; FilBars, which adapted to the times by ditching their comics merchandise to sell anime figures; and Bully Boy, which caters to Funko Pop devotees.

There has been an uptick in the sales of Dragon Ball Z figures after the release of a tribute video honoring the series’ late creator Akiro Toriyama. 

In the past few decades, the toy market has exploded with fans of franchise movies, anime shows, and e-games willing to shell out hard-earned money to take their favorite characters home. At Shoppesville, customers can choose from a wide range of toys inspired by contemporary cultural icons—from King Kong, Batman, and Godzilla to Gundam, Voltes V, and the anime and gaming warriors of present times.

Barring another revamp by Greenhills Commercial Center’s developers, Shoppesville is here to stay as the pop nerd mecca where hobbyists of all ages can lose themselves in the fantasies of their youth.